Lacking Fitness Motivation? Here's How to Be Motivated and Stay Motivated Part 2
be consistent
Fitness isn't about doing the hardest job you can get every day. It's about consistency. You should aim to do one thing every day, even if it's just a brisk walk or stretching session. Doing so will motivate you to continue your workout routine and prevent you from falling into a slump.
A good rule of thumb is to never stay longer than three days without exercise or any other exercise. If you're going through a busy period and don't have time to hit the gym, there are many free online exercises you can do at home. Many require no equipment and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can be completed in as little as 10 minutes. Making sure to never go too long without at least some exercise is a great way to keep your fitness motivated.
Be patient
While it's nice, you won't see results from exercising overnight. It can take a long time for your efforts to show through in your physical appearance, and you need to be realistic about starting a fitness routine so you don't lose your motivation. Try to think of fitness as a lifestyle and focus on all the health benefits it provides outside of physical appearance.
Keeping all these tips in mind and setting realistic expectations for when you'll see results can prevent you from getting discouraged and losing your fitness motivation.
It may not seem possible right now, but if you find a type of exercise that you really enjoy and stick with for a while, it will become part of your daily routine. Once something becomes a habit, it becomes much easier to stay motivated. Over time, you may find that it's okay to stay motivated to exercise.
How do I stay motivated to exercise?
Exercising can be really difficult. A good way to motivate yourself is to set fitness goals that you can reach and achieve. You don't want to set the bar too high when it comes to your fitness routine, as that can be pretty discouraging. Instead, stick to what you can accomplish. For example, when you first start exercising, you can try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, twice a week. As you get stronger and find the motivation you need to keep going, you can work up to 3 or 4 days and then start exercising longer. Another good way to stay motivated is to have your gym bag with you wherever you are, so you'll have less of an excuse not to exercise. You can keep it at your desk at work, in the backseat of your car, or in your backpack so everything you need is at your fingertips.